Kauluhiwaolele Maui Fiber Arts Conference will be hosted at Kāʻanapali Beach Hotel from September 4-7, 2019, to recognize the multiple ways we utilize Hawaiian plant material. Leaves, bark, sedges and roots are just some of the fibers used to weave, twill, twine and knot into precious creations. If you are interested in fiber arts, this is your best opportunity to learn and engage in this community.
Kauluhiwaolele Workshop speaks to the esteemed groves from which we gather the fibers to fashion our traditional crafts and the increasing practice of these precious arts in Lāhaina. The pū hala (pandanus tree) is celebrated as an important part of every Hawaiian family in our woven mats, pillows, baskets, and the sails that brought our people on canoes across the Pacific. ʻIeʻie is an endemic woody, branching climber (Freycinetia arborea) which is made into the finest baskets, fish traps, and as a sturdy framework for other crafts. Kōkō is the practice of knotting sennit to create nets and calabash net-carriers. ‘Upena is the net structure to which ti leaves or feathers are attached. The conference will consist of four days of intense instruction of these weaving crafts by 20 of our kumu (master practitioners) from throughout Hawaiʻi. Kumu panel discussions on topics like current challenges facing the weaving community will be hosted daily.
Kauluhiwaolele Festivals is open to public, including Hawaiian craft fair and workshops in the lobby on Friday and Saturday (September 6-7, 2019), Saturday Night Dinner Event – Celebration of Kauluhiwaolele Fiber Arts (local favorites, live Hawaiian entertainment, silent and live auction.)
